You are the nurse caring for a patient in labor and the patient has requested an epidural be placed. What is the most common side effect of epidural placement in a patient that you MUST monitor for?

Question

Nursing judgment

Physiological adaptation

Answer 1

The most common side effect of epidural placement in a patient that you MUST monitor for is hypotension.

Answer 2

The most common side effect of an epidural, which nurses and healthcare professionals must closely monitor, is hypotension, or a significant drop in blood pressure. This can occur because the epidural medication can lead to vasodilation, which reduces the resistance in blood vessels and causes the blood pressure to fall. Hypotension can be detrimental to both the mother and the fetus, as it can reduce the blood flow to the placenta and thus decrease oxygen delivery to the fetus.

Other side effects that may be observed include:

Shivering: Some patients may experience shivering which is not necessarily related to a drop in body temperature.

Itching: This is often due to the use of opioids in the epidural or spinal.

Fever: A mild increase in body temperature can be seen.

Urinary retention: The patient may have difficulty urinating due to the numbing effect of the epidural.

Nausea and vomiting: This can occur but is less common.

However, the primary concern is hypotension, and the nursing team typically counters this risk by administering intravenous fluids before epidural placement and closely monitoring the patient's blood pressure afterwards. If hypotension occurs, it is usually treated promptly with additional fluids and sometimes medications to elevate blood pressure.

Answer 3